Leafs @ Wild - Dec. 14th, 8:00pm - SNO, TSN 1050

[CarltonTheBear]

@

20-11-1, 41 points | 16-11-3, 35 points

Projected Lines

Hyman-Marleau-Brown Komarov-Kadri-Nylander JVR-Bozak-Marner Martin-Moore-Leivo Rielly-Hainsey Gardiner-Zaitsev Borgman-Polak Andersen ​

Niederreiter-Staal-Granlund Zucker-Koivu-Coyle Eriksson Ek-Cullen-Mitchell Foligno-Winnik-Stewart Suter-Dumba Brodin-Murphy Olofsson-Prosser Stalock​

Scratches

Connor Carrick Kasperi Kapanen Auston Matthews ​

Tyler Ennis Mike Reilly ​

Game Notes

TOR
?Andersen (17-9-1, 2.69 GAA, .922 Sv%) will likely start for the Leafs
?The Leafs had a bit of a mental reset yesterday, as they took practice outside and held a little 3-on-3 tournament at an outdoor rink with the help of Minnesota-native Jake Gardiner's dad
?No Auston Matthews again for the Leafs. He's confirmed to be out with something for sometime
?Noted failed crease-clearer Roman Polak is set to play in his 9th straight game this season, unless of course Babcock suddenly remembers that Connor Carrick exists

MIN
?Alex Stalock (4-3-1, 2.93 GAA, .907 Sv%) will likely start for the Wild
?Dubnyk was injured in Minnesota's previous game and isn't expected to play
?Stalock of course had a short but not-sweet tenure with the Leafs after he was acquired in the Reimer trade in 2016. The Leafs dumped him on the Marlies where he mostly sat before the team let him and his wife and infant son return home
?Stalock was looking forward to playing against the Leafs earlier this season but the birth of his second child got in the way of that start
?Minnesota is currently clinging onto the final wild card spot in the West. It's a tight race where 2 points separates 5 different teams


Injuries

?Nathan Horton - Back - Out indefinitely ?Joffrey Lupul - Actually Injured - Out indefinitely ?Nikita Soshnikov - "Groin" - "Injured" Reserve ?Auston Matthews - Hand/Concussion/Back - Day to day​

?Devan Dubnyk - Lower Body - Doubtful Thursday ?Jared Spurgeon - Groin - Injured Reserve ?Zach Parise - Back - Injured Reserve​

Stream Options

https://www.reddit.com/r/NHLstreams
​

 

[herman]

It seems like no one is particularly wild about this game.

I'll show myself out.

 

[Kin]

So dumbest team name/logo in sports, right?

 

[Andy007]

It seems like no one is particularly wild about this game.

Yea, I think it's safe to Fargo this one...

 

[Kaberle15]

I hope that the Leafs do Show Up tonight... Go Leafs Go!

 

[Frank E]

Hey Carlton, maybe you could fix the game time? 

 

[Bullfrog]

He only gives approximate start times now.

 

[Frank E]

He only gives approximate start times now.

Yeah, like, "the game will start in the evening hours, likely 7pm-8pm range".

It's just lazy.

ETA:  For those of you that prefer exactitude, the official game time is 8pm.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

He only gives approximate start times now.

Yeah, like, "the game will start in the evening hours, likely 7pm-8pm range".

It's just lazy.

ETA:  For those of you that prefer exactitude, the official game time is 8pm.

You guys are lucky that I didn't just put "when it's dark".

But yeah, thanks for pointing that out. I knew it was at 8pm the 7 just snuck in there.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/941359764671533056

I was going to make a joke about how Polak would probably need to score on his own net to get taken out of the line-up but then I remembered what happened in Edmonton and that would probably just earn him a contract extension.

Marleau-Marner could be fun.

 

[pnjunction]

Finally a shake-up on the Hyman/Brown combo, those guys have their strengths but together it was not working, with or without Matthews.  Also interesting to see how Nylander and Marner perform in different spots.

 

[herman]

Nylander's defensive game did improve last year after a mid-season stint with Komarov-Kadri, even though their styles did not mesh. i.e. this is not new.

If I recall correctly, Komarov speaks to Nylander in Swedish on the ice, likely to troll Kadri.

I think Marner ends up with Kadri by the end of the year. Their styles are much meshier.

 

[cujo4ever]

I like the look of those practice lines. CB gives the JvR-Bozak combo a little defensive help.

GO LEAFS GO!

 

[L K]

I see we continue to play in the world where getting horribly outplayed justifies Polak's existence in the lineup.
The forward lines are intriguing but I'm concerned Babcock is just going to flip them back quickly.

 

[Highlander]

He only gives approximate start times now.

Yeah, like, "the game will start in the evening hours, likely 7pm-8pm range".

It's just lazy.

ETA:  For those of you that prefer exactitude, the official game time is 8pm.

You guys are lucky that I didn't just put "when it's dark".

But yeah, thanks for pointing that out. I knew it was at 8pm the 7 just snuck in there.

How about after work, if you get off work by 6.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

Well it's dark and there is no hockey yet.  There must be a better way to do this. 

 

[azzurri63]

Let's get back on the winning track boys. Solid 60 minutes is all I ask and 2 more points in the bank.

 

[azzurri63]

On the lighter side before puck drop.

https://youtu.be/KB6Lq1akbgQ

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

PP coming up.

 

[Al14]

0-2 on the PP!

Not much power in that 2nd power play!